Golf ball washer



March 10, R. F. FOX

' GOLF BALL WASHER Filed Aug. 25, 1954 Reed 5 Fox INVENTOR.

United States Pat GOLF BALL WASHER Reed F. Fox, Bryan, Uhio ApplicationAugust 25, 1954, Serial No. 452,100

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-21) Thepresent invention relates to cleaning devicesand more particularly relates to devices for cleaning golf balls.

At present golf ball cleaning devices are stationary, disposed adjacentthe tees of certain holes spaced around the golf course or at theclubhouse necessitating interruption or interference with the golfersgame, and providing only sporadic ball cleaning possibilities.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide golfball cleaning devices which will in no event interfere with the golfersplaying time, which will enable the golfer to keep the balls cleaned atall times over all portions of the golf course before, during and afterplaying the course, and which will provide the golfer with a convenient,easily accessible place for carrying balls while he is playing thecourse.

The basic object of the invention is to provide golf ball cleaningdevices for use with golf or caddy carts which devices scrub the ballsduring the movement of the cart from place to place.

A highly important object of the invention, ancillary to the basicobject, is in the provision of a hollow device for mounting on a golfcart for rotation during the movement of the golf cart from place toplace and carrying the golfers bag which hollow device is provided onthe interior thereof with golf ball scrubbing means, the interior of thedevice thus serving both as a golf ball carrying housing and as a golfball scrubbing chamber.

Another object of the invention is in the provision of a hollow, golfball cleaning device having an axial opening through one web or sidethereof for the insertion into and the removal from the device of golfballs to be cleaned and carried, which hollow device is extremelysimple, and economical and which is capable of quick and simpleattachment and demounting.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the caddy cart with an auxiliarygolf ball cleaning wheel mounted on one of the ground engaging Wheelsthereof;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane of section line22 of Figure 1 but with the supporting structure removed;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the hollow golf ball cleaningwheel taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure2 but with the cap removed.

In Figures 1-3 of the drawings there is shown a golf cart of aconventional nature including a golf bag supporting body 12, wheelsupporting frame 14 secured to the body and ground engaging wheel 16. Inthe operation of these devices, the golf bag is supported on-the bodymember 12 and golf cart 10 is moved along the surface of the ground byvirtue of the rolling action of the ground supporting wheel 16.

2,876,473 Patented Mar. 10, 1959 Noting Figure 2, the ground engagingsupporting wheel 16 of the cart is provided with a hub 18, web 20 andrim 22 carrying a rubber tire 24. The hub 18 of the wheel is of coursemounted on an axle of the wheel supporting frame 14 of the cart 10.

Secured to the outer surface of the web 20 of the wheel is a golf ballcleaning device made in accordance with the present invention.

This cleaning device is composed basically of an auxiliary hollow wheel26 having a body provided with inner and outer webs or sides 28 and 30respectively, interconnected by an integral rim portion 32. Material forthe wheel is preferably some flexible, and tough resilient materialwhich is sufiiciently stiff to retain its shape under ordinaryconditions. The auxiliary hollow wheel 26 as shown in the drawings is ofless diameter than the' wheel 16 and is provided on the central portionof the inner web 28 thereof with means 34 for attaching the same to theweb of the ground engaging wheel 16 of the golf cart 10.

In the particular golf cart shown, the ground engaging wheel 16 isprovided with a bore 36 through the hub thereof and with a pair ofdiametrically opposite apertures 38 through the web 20 thereof onadjacent sides of the hub through which extend fasteners 40 whichordinarily secure hub cap 42 over the end of the axle which extendsthrough the hub bore 36. Hub cap 42 is made of a concave-convex memberwith its convex surface facing inwardly of hollow wheel 26.

In order to take advantage of this construction in the particularembodiment of the hollow auxiliary wheel 26 shown, the inner web or side28 of the wheel is provided with registering apertures 44 and 46 withthe hub bore 36 and web apertures 38 respectively, the auxiliary wheel26 being first disposed with the inner web 28 against the outer surfaceof the web 28' of the ground engaging wheel 16, the fasteners 40 andpassed through the apertures 38 and 46 and screwed into the hub cap 42.The hollow wheel 26 is thus held fixedly to the outer surface of theground engaging wheel 16 of the golf cart by being clamped at its innerweb 28 between the hub cap 42 and the outer surface of the web 20 of thewheel.

The outer side or web 30 of the hollow auxiliary wheel 36 is dished ortapered inwardly toward the axis of the auxiliary wheel 26 and towardthe inner side or web 28 of this auxiliary wheel.

The outer side 30 is provided with an axial enlarged opening48 for theinsertion of a golf ball into the interior of the hollow wheel 26. Byinwardly tapering or dishing the outer side 30 of the hollow auxiliarywheel, in crosssection the wheel is provided with an arcuate pocket intowhich the balls drop, this pocket concentrically surrounding the golfball insertion and removal opening 48 and constituting the washingchamber or scrubbing chamber for the balls.

To provide this arcuate effect, the rim portion 32 of the hollow wheel26 is arcuate in cross-section and joins the sides or webs 28 and 30 ina smooth curve.

Golf ball scrubbing means 50 are provided on the inner-surface of therim portion 32 and in the inside surface of portions of the webs 30, 28,these scrubbing means consisting of a plurality of inwardly projectingknobs or cleats.

Obviously, with different type golf cart wheels, the auxiliary wheel 26will be modified at its inner web 28 to provide for its attachment tothe ground engaging wheel without modification of this ground engagingwheel. The use of the device is relatively simple, the same beingattached to the wheel and then when the golf cart 10 is moved, golfballs such as the ball 52, deposited within the hollow wheel 26 will becleaned by the scrubbing action of the knobs or cleats 50 either aloneor in conjunction with some cleaning fluid.

" ihe ti'iifwhe'el as "used in this specification is not to "beli'r'nit'edtoa 'iz'ifciil'afr "pefiph'ery since polygonal peripherieswould in many instah'ces work just as well.

, From the tqregoing, the construction and operation of the device willhe readily understood 'a'ndfurther 'eipl'anatioh is believed to hemm'ec'essai' However, since nufrierou s modifications and changes will"readily occur to those skilled in t'he'art, it is not desiredto limitthe inven- 'tion to the enact construction shown and described, and

'iiccordi'ngly all suitable 'modifications and ehuivalents 'ih'ay befstbfted to, falling within the scope of "the appended claims. 7 I

What is claimed as new is as follows:

-1. A" golf ball washer adapted to be attached to a groundengaging'wheel of a golf cart, said golf ball "'washe'rcomprising ahollow body having a back wall adapted to fit'against a faceof-saidwheel, a front wall, and'ap'eripheral Walk-said front wall having aconcave -captive while said hollow body is rotating, a concaveconvexmember in said hollow body'and attached to the back "wall thereof withits "concave surface facing in- References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,758,011 Reach May 13, 1930 1,827,668Musselman Oct. 13, 193i 1,938,539 Lyman Dec. 5, 1933 2,026,161 CollinsDec. 31, 1935 -2,'67-2; 637 Allen Mar. 23, :1-954 26955047 Ruck l l.-Mar. '6, 1-1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 486,374 France Mar. 28, 1918 486,375France Mar. 28, 1918 555,912 France Apr. 4, 1923 697,358 Great BritainSept. 23, 1953

